Badenoch MSP 'proud' of second homes policy
Kate Forbes MSP has said she is proud of how the Scottish Government is helping rural communities in her constituency.
She was prompted to make the comment after it emerged that the UK Government’s emergency business support scheme is paying out millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to wealthy second-home owners in England.
Under the Scottish equivalent, vacant second homes cannot claim business grants, which has enabled funding to be shared more widely with genuine businesses across Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.
The number of short-term lets in Scotland, and especially the Highlands, has risen dramatically in recent years and in some areas locals are finding it increasingly difficult to find homes to live in.
For example, last year a Scottish Government study showed that almost one in five dwellings on the Isle of Skye is now an AirBnB (1,083 listings for 5,813 dwellings).
Some second homes register as a business and the owners avoid paying council tax.
Because such properties may be on the Non Domestic Rates roll, in England they can access the £10,000 UK Government grant designed to support small businesses struggling to survive the impact of the coronavirus.
One rural Conservative MP, Anthony Mangnall for Totnes, even told the Financial Times that: “Fishermen are offered little support other than from universal credit, but are seeing Londoners with second homes being able to apply for £10,000.”
In contrast, to date, the Scottish Government support to the fishing industry totals almost £23 million.
Ms Forbes (SNP, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) said: “The economic crisis is having a significant impact on the Highlands and Islands. Our local economy is largely dependent on tourism, food and drink and small businesses.
“There are so many small businesses struggling at the moment, that it is important that support goes to as many as possible.
"That’s why it is so galling to see potentially millions of pounds going to second home owners in England, whilst fishermen rely on little more than Universal Credit.
“That is not the case in Scotland, because the Scottish Government took a very different approach, to ensure that empty second home owners don’t qualify for grants and more genuine small businesses can get support.
“In Highland coastal communities, fishermen will get help, as will the newly self-employed and non-rates paying businesses.”